Method of roasting coffee



Nov. 20,1945. R. F. OTOOLE ETAL f 7 METHODS OF ROASTING COFFEE Orginal Filed Aug. 3, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 20, 1945. R. F. OTOOLE ET AL I 2,389,577

METHODS OF ROAST ING COFFEE Original Filed Aug. 3,

1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 ww w ME MD (K 01100000 gwua/Mow Nov. 20, 1945. R; F. OTOOLE ET AL I METHODS OF ROASTING COFFEE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 Nov. 20, 1945. R F. OTOOLE ETAL METHODS OF ROASTING COFFEE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 Jmtou KL QAQZM/ f: 8. '7'00/8 'A/EMWC/EI Par/157%" Nov. 20, 1945- R. F. OTOOLE EIAL METHODS OF ROASIING COFFEE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Eng. 3, 1940 1945' R. F. OTOOLE ET AL METHODS OF ROAST ING COFFEE Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet s 1 & ii

T04 &

e i l 4 1 2371 (4 21 6 $514 m Patented Nov. 20, 1945 METHOD or aoss'rmc corms Richard F. OToole, Scarsdale, and Alexander C. V

Parlini, Freeport, N. Y.

Original application August 3, 1940,. Serial No. 350,460. Divided and this application April 10, 1942, Serial No. 438,426

Claims. (CI. 99-68) Thls'invention relates to the art of roasting coflee and more particularly refers to improvements in methods of roasting coffee, whereby the coifee beans can be roasted uniformly throughout the body thereof to any desired degree. The present application is a division of the patent application which was filed by us in the United States Patent Ofiice on August 3, late under Serial Number 350,460.

In roasting coffee it is essential that the volatile aromatic oils exuded by the coflee beans during the roasting operation be prevented from escaping together with the moisture in the form of steam. On the other hand, it is desirable that the green coffee beans be freed of their mois ture content by allowing the moisture to evaporate without carrying ofr the volatile oils before the coffee beans are admitted to the roastin chamber. It is also important to insure conditions whereby the cofiee beans will be roasted uniformly throughout to such a degree as may be called for by the kind of roast desired.

In addition, the treatment of the coffee immediately after the roasting period is also an important factor aiiecting the quality of the product which is ultimately to be ground and brewed.

In most methods of roasting coflee heretofore in use the codes beans admitted to the roasting chamber are subjected to a temperature which is gradually increasing from the initial point to an end point which, when reached, determines the completion of the roasting operation and the immediate discharge of the roasted coffee -from the roasting chamber.

In some cases the roasting chamber is preheated to an initial roasting temperature before the coffee beans are admited thereto; furthermore, in some instances, the temperature within the roasting chamber is also regulated by means of thermostatic devices controlling the supply of gas to a burner so as to maintain a predetermined temperature in the roasting chamber for the balance of the roasting operation once said temperature has been reached.

However, the mere regulation of the fuel supply when gas or some other suitable fuel is used, entailing only a decrease or increase of the fuel supply, but not its termination during the course of the roasting operation, implies either a continuous and gradual increase of the temperature within the roasting chamber up to the end of the roasting operation, when the roasting chamber is sealed or insulated to prevent the escape ill of heat, or the loss of volatile aromatic substances contained in the coffee when the roasting chamber is of the open type and directly in the path of the hot gases generated by the burner. I

To make this point clear we will refer, for instance, to the U. S. patent to Dent, No. 1,943,211, in which it is stated that when the temperature in the roaster reaches a predetermined point, the supply of gas is reduced but its reduction is not sumcient to reduce the temperature at the colfee for, on the contrary, the temperature will slowly rise even after the gas supply has been reduced until it reaches a point indicating that the roasting period is completed.

We also refer to U. S. patent to Waldvogel, No. 2,188,969. in which a perforated rotary roaster is mounted within a housing constituting the roasting chamber and the hot gases, produced by a gas burner also mounted within said chamber directly under the roaster, are exhausted from the chamber by means of a suction fan. It is obvious that in such an arrangement the suction generated by the fan will draw oil not only-the air, fumes, and chafi from the housing containing the roaster, but also such volatile aromatic substances as may be freed from the coffee during the roasting operation.

The primary object of our invention is to provide a novel and improved method of roasting coffee, whereby the coffee beans are subjected to the action of heat for a given period of time suilicient to insure even roasting throughout the body thereof, the temperature of roasting being regulated so that its rise will be prevented be-. yond a given limit according to the degree of roasting desired, without discontinuing the roasting operation when the maximum temperature in each case has been reached, the operation taking place in a chamber which is virtually closed so that the aromatic substances contained in the coffee will not be lost.

Another object is to provide, in a method of roasting coffee, the steps which consist in generating and supplying heat to a roaster until a given temperature has been reached, and then terminating the generation of heat altogether and virtually maintaining the temperature reached within the roaster for the balance or the roasting operation by preventing the escape of heat therefrom.

A further object is to provide a method of treating cofiee before, during and after the roasting operation, whereby thecofiee will be brought to a predetermined standard of perfection and superior flavor.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear as the description proceeds and will be set forth and claimed in the appended claims.

For a clearer understanding of our invention an apparatus whereby our method may be carried into practice is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of a coffee roaster and grinder embodying our method of operation;

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation thereof, partly broken away and sectioned;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view in elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a rear view in elevation of the same, with parts broken away'and sectioned;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section through line 6-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing the mechanism set for operation;

Fig. 8 is a similar view, showing the mechanism at the time when the coffee beans are being discharged into the roasting chamber;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. '7, showing in dotted lines parts concealed by the cam element;

Fig. 10 is a detail view showing in front elevation the escapement mechanism controlling the return movement of the cam;

PE. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section through line ll-ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical section through line l2-i2 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 13 is a wiring diagram of the electrical operating circuit.

The device illustrated comprises a frame consisting of a body portion 20, supported by a base 2|. The body portion of the frame is divided into a front chamber 22, an intermediate chamber 23, and a rear chamber 24. In the front chamber 22 is housed the controlling mechanism, shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 10 and 12. The intermediate chamber 23 houses the charging, roasting and cooling chambers, and the rear chamber 24 houses the electric motor actuating the agitater within the roasting chamber and the grinding mechanism also actuated by said motor. The base portion of the device is open at the rear, as shown at 25, to allow the insertion of a suitable receptacle under the grinding device and discharge outlet with which the device is provided.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 11, it will be seen that chamber 23, within which the heat treatment of the coffee takes place, houses the roasting oven 26, which is in the form of a stationary cylindrical shell having an opening 21 at the top and another opening 28 at the bottom, said opening 28 being controlled by a normally open door 23 carried by a shaft 30, said door being shown in Fig. 11 in its normal position.

When said door is released from its closed position in a manner which will be later described, the weight of the coffee in the oven will force said door open and the coffee will be discharged into the cooling chamber 3|.

At the top the device is provided with a charging hopper 32, extending within chamber 23, said hopper being provided with a removable cover 23 and a bottom trap door consisting of two halves 34, 35, carried by shafts 36, 31, respectively, running in a front to rear direction.

Said trapdoor is normally held in a cl s d position, as shown in Fig. 11, in. a manner which will be later described, and the cover 33 is preferably provided with a pad 33 of felt or other porous material, allowing the escape of steam from the hopper. The two parts 34, 35 of the trapdoor are preferably perforated to allow some heat to reach the inside of the hopper in order to dry the green coffee beans therein contained before they are discharged in the roasting oven through opening 21.

While the coffee beans are being roasted within the. roasting oven they are continuously agitated by being alternately raised along the wall of the oven and allowed to drop back by the action of a spider shaped agitator, consisting of two end disks 33, mounted upon a shaft 40 coaxial with the roasting oven, and a number of circumferentially spaced radially directed comb shaped blades 4|, extending between the two disks, said blades being preferably flexible and having their 7 outer edge abutting against the inner surface of the oven and their inner edge mounted in channeled bars, such as 42, extending between the two disks. 7

As will be understood, the rotary movement of the agitator will cause its blades to engage and push the coffee beans along the bottom and side of the oven until they are brought to an angle where they will fall back by gravity to the bottom of the oven. During this process the coffee beans closest to the center of the oven will bebrought to a position where they will fall first to the bottom of the oven so that at the next stroke they will be right against the wall of the oven, so that while th agitator continues to revolve all the beans will successively come to occupy differentpositions within the oven and will thus be exposed to heat in a uniform manner.

The agitator is driven by an electric motor 43 housed within chamber 24, through pinion 44 mounted on the shaft of said motor, a gearwheel 45 mounted on the shaft 40 of the agitator and a reduction gearing, generally designated by numeral 43, interposed therebetween. Said reduction gearing includes a conical gearwheel 41 carlated accordingly.

In its main phases the operation of the device takes place by steps in the following sequence:

Cover 33 is removed from the hopper 32 and a quantity of green coffee beans, suflicient to fill said hopper, is poured therein. At thi time the trap door 34, 35 of the hopper is, of course, in

its closed position and so is door 23 at the bottom of the oven. Cover 33 is then replaced in the hop r and the necessary switches are operated to energize the motor and the electric heating elements housed within chamber 23.

While these electric heating elements bring the temperature of chamber 23 to apredetermined value the coflee beans remain in the hopper and are preheated to a certain extent, causing them to lose their moisture, which is discharged through porous pad 33, so that the beans will eventually reach the oven in a uniformly dry condition. At the same time the oven itself is also preheated to a predetermined temperature that, in practice, we have found to be satisfactory at about 200 F.

While this initial temperature causes the 'cofiee beans to lose their moisture it does not tree therefrom the aromatic oils therein contained,

saidoils only being given oil at higher temperatures. Furthermore, when such aromatic oils are later exuded by the coilee beans they will be efiectively prevented from escaping through ,the porous pad 38 because the pressure within the roasting chamber is virtually nil and there is no suction carrying on gases from said roasting chamber.

When the proper temperature has been reached a thermostatically controlled device will release the trapdoor 34, 35 and the weight of the coifee beans within the hopper will force the two halves of the trapdoor open so that they will form a sort of funnel discharging the coffee beans into the oven through opening 21. A short time thereafter the trapdoor 3t, 35 is once more closed while the codec beans are being agitated within the oven and while the temperature continues to increase for a given period of time, at the end of which the circuit of the heating elements is automatically interrupted.

The duration of this time period can be set in advance according to the kind of roast desired. For instance, if a light roast is to be produced, the time during which the heating elementsare energized will be shorter than if a so-called French roast has to be produced.

However, the termination of the period during which current is supplied to the heating elements does not determine the termination of the roasting period. The roasting operation will continue for a certain time after the circuit of the heating elements has been interrupted, the deenergization of the circuit of said heating elements after a longer or shorter period merely determining the maximum limit that the temperature in the oven is allowed to reach while the roasting operation proceeds, the duration of the roasting operation proper being always the same irrespective of the kind of roast to be produced.

In other words, the temperature is allowed to reach a certain value according to the kind of roast to be produced and the duration of the roasting period in all cases is such as will insure thorough and uniform treatment and complete heat penetration for all the beans of which the charge is composed.

At the termination of the roasting period the door it at the bottom of the roasting oven will be automatically released and will be forced to open by the weight of the coffee beans in the oven, said beans falling into the cooling chamber where they are exposed to a current of cool air impelled through the walls of the cooling chamber by a fan be mounted on a shaft of the motor (it.

The cooling operation will cause the coder: beans to reabsorb the aromatic oils exuded from their surface during the roasting operation, while their pores are open, thus preserving the full flavor and quality of the coffee.

From the cooling chamber the coffee beans can be discharged into a receptacle for later use or they can be discharged directly into the grinder for grinding and immediate use.

While, after the coffee beans have been discharged from the roasting oven, 2. new charge can be made ready in the hopper, means are provided for preventing the device from functioning until the time when the temperature in the oven has decreased to a point where the thermostatically controlled devices governing the discharge of the coffee bean into the roasting oven are no longer responsive to such temperature.

This is done in order to prevent the possibility ,of the roasting operation being started at a temperature higher than the normal starting operation, because this would mean that the maximum temperature at the time when the heating elements are deenergized will also be correspondingly higher than that required by the type of roast for which the device has been set, and in extreme cases might even be excessive to the point of totally ruining the cofiee to be treated.

We will now proceed to describe in detail the various elements and mechanisms controlling the operation )f the device.

- I The controlling devices, with the exception of the starting handle or actuator and the knob of the setting lever, which are located externally of the front wall 5! of chamber 22, are located within said chamber. Fig. 1 shows the starting handle or actuator 52 in its normal position of rest, ready to be set to its other extreme position symmetrical thereto with respect to the central vertical plane passing through the axis of rotation of said actuator, by turning said actuator in a clockwise direction about 90 from the position shown. Said Fig. 1 also shows the knob 53 having an indicating hand Ed by means of which the device can be set for diderent degrees of roasting according to the position at which said hand b ll is set with respect to a segmental slot 5% having circumferentially spaced indentations 5t adapted to be engaged by said knob be.

The starting handle or actuator is rotatably mounted on a stud iii which is fixed to the front wall 5i, said stud 51? being shown coaxial with shaft' it of the agitator. On said stud is also swingably mounted an arm W, carrying a switch 5% (see Fig. 6), provided with a bifurcated switch arm ht. Said arm also carries an extension til, at the end of which is resiilently mounted knob 53 which can be depressed inwardly against the action of a spring (not shown) tending to urge said knob outwardly in engagement with any one of the indentations bt of slot 55.

On said stud 5'! is also rotatably mounted a cam-shaped disk 62, having a segmental portion lit that, in the position of rest of said cam shown in Fig. 6, extends in a counterclockwise direction from a pin b t froritwardly extending from a rack 65, said pin ti i' resting upon the right end of said segmental portion (it. In this position, therefore, the rack [it is restricted against descending movement from its normal position shown, by said cam.

The cam disk 62 is connected to the actuator by means of a pin t6 (see Fig. 12) passing through a segmental slot til provided in the front wall El, 50 that a turning movement of the actuator will be shared by the cam.

The segmental portion ti of the cam extends r in a counterclockwise direction an angle some- The segmental portion 12 of the cam immediately at the right of segmental portion 88 is of a smaller radius than said portion and is connected therewith by a radially directed shoulder portion I3. The cam is provided with a frontwardly extending pin I4 which will engage one or the other of the arms of the bifurcated end of the switch arm 60 when the cam moves in one or the other direction, and said pin will, therefore, serve to throw the switch to the on or oil position, as the case may be.

The switch is normally in'the oif position and, as stated, before the operation of the device is started said switch is set at a predetermined angular position by setting knob 53 at any one oi the positions shown along slot 55. After the switch 59 has been thus set, the main switch, shown at I in the diagram of Fig. 3, is closed, thus energizing the main circuit I6, I1, in which is inserted motor 43. The actuator is then moved in a clockwise direction to its other extreme position, the extent of its movement being determined by the angular extension of slot 61. During said movement pin 14 of the cam will engage the bifurcated arm of switch arm 60 and the switch 59 will'close the circuit of the heating elements shown at I8, 19 in Figs. 11 and 13 within chamber 23.

A segmental portion 80 of the cam is in the form of a toothed segment engaging a toothed wheel 8|, forming part of an escapement mechanism, generally designated by numeral 82 in Fig. 10.

Said escapement mechanism is normally held under a certain tension by a spiral spring 83 and will be set under a higher tension by the clockwise movement of the cam. The cam is provided with a dog 84, pivotally mounted at 85, said dog constituting a yielding projection from the periphery of portion I2 of the cam, adapted to engage ledge 86 of a bracket 81 when the cam is moved to the position shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. The bracket '81 is pivotally mounted at 88 and is normally held in the position shown, where its rear edge abuts against stop pin 89, by the action of a spring 90. Said bracket also carries a dog 9I, pivotally mounted at 92, said dog being normally held in the position shown in Fig. 6 by a spring 93. and being adapted to move in a clockwise direction against the action of said spring but being restrained from moving in the opposite direction due to'the fact that said dog abuts against the upper end of a link 94, pivotally suspended at 95, from bracket 81.

Said link extends downwardly from pivot 95, passing through a guide 98, and its lower end is formed at the left side with a notch 91 and at the right side with another notch 98. Notch 91 is adapted to be engaged by the arm 99 constituting the armature of an electromagnet I00 when said link 94 is moved downwardly from its normal position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7 by the action of bracket 81, which is caused to turn in a counterclockwise direction when engaged by dog 84 during the early part of the clockwise movement of the cam, when link 94 is thus engaged by armature 99, which is urged in its engaging position by the action of spring I0 I. Y

During the counterclockwise movement of bracket 81 dog 9| will eventually strike against pawl 89 but since said dog 9| can yield against the; action of spring 93 it will eventually pass beyond said pawl to the position shown in Fig. 9 without affecting the status of said pawl.

when link 94 occupies its normal upward I position shown in Fig. 6, a pin I02, carried by the lower end of said link, holds in the off position a spring terminal I03 forming part of a switch I04, inserted in the circuit of electromagnet I00.

- As soon as link 94 starts to descend spring terminal I03 will move to the on position to close the circuit I05, I08, of electromagnet I00. However, said circuit is normally interrupted by a thermostatic device I01, located in chamber 23, said thermostatic device becoming operative to close the circuit only when the temperature within chamber 23 reaches a predetermined point.

When link 94 is thus moved to and locked in the position shown in Fig. 7, a lug I08, carried by said link, will press against arm I08 of an escapement anchor H0, pivotally mounted at III, against the action of a spring I I2, holding one of the teeth of said escapement anchor in permanent engagement with the teeth of star wheel H3 of the escapement mechanism (see Fig. 10). Said escapement mechanism will, therefore, be prevented from operating to return the cam to its original position until such time when the return upward movement of the link 94 will cause lug I08 to release the escapement anchor.

It is to be understood that toothed wheel 0| will operate the other elements of the escapement mechanism through the action of a unidirectionally operative clutch (not shown). Said clutch makes it possible for said wheel 8| to rotate independently of the other elements of the escapement mechanism when the cam is moved in a clockwise direction to its operative position.

The upward return movement of link 94 to its normal position will take place only when said link has been released by armature 99, that is, when the temperature within chamber 23 having reached the point at which the thermostatic device will become operative, the circuit of the electromagnet will become energized and the armature 99 will be attracted by the electromagnet. At such time, link 94 will be automatically returned to its normal position by bracket 81, urged in its return movement by the action of spring 90. As soon as link 94 has reached its normal position the circuit of the electromagnet will once more be interrupted by pin I02 pressing against spring terminal I 03.

The return movement of link 94 will cause two other operations to take place; namely, by the action of dog 9I pressing against the arm of pawl 69 it will cause said pawl to turn in a counterclockwise direction, releasing rack 65, and by the action of lug I08 releasing anchor member II9 it will enable the escapement mechanism 82 to operate to return the cam 82 to its original position by a slow movement, the duration of which will be regulated by the speed of the intermittent motion of the star wheel, in a well known manner. The duration of the return movement of the cam substantially corresponds to the duration of the roasting period which starts as soon as rack 65 is released from pawl 69, and stops as the cam is about to reach the end of its return movement.

As previousl stated, rack 65 is mounted so as to be free to descend from its normal position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 8 when released by pawl 69. The vertical movement of said rack is limited by the stem of a screw H4 projecting through vertical slot H8 provided in the rack. The rack is formed with two toothed lateral edges H6, H1, meshing with pinions III, II9, respectively, said pinions being that when the cam is set to the position shown 2,389,577 mounted on shafts 36, 31 which, as stated, carry.

in Fig. 7, the electric heating elements are energized, the link 94 is moved to its lowermost position, and is held in said position, preventing return movement of the cam, until such time as the temperature within chamber 23, and consequently within the. oven, reaches the point at which the circuit of the electromagnet will be energized by the thermostatic device and link M will be released for its return movement. It will also be seen that as soon as the return movement of link 94 takes place cam 62 will start on its return movement and rack 65 will be released from pawl 69 so that the cofiee beans contained in the hopper 32 will fall into the roasting oven through opening 2]..

At this time, door 29 will occupy its closing position, having been set in said position by cam t2 when said cam has reached the end of its movement to the position shown in-Fig. 'l. The move ment of. door 29 to its closing position is effected by the pin Ill] carriedby cam W, said pin bearing against arm i2i of a crank lever 622, fixed on shaft iii, and causing said crank lever to rotate v said shaft ill to the closed door position.

When such closed door position has been reached the tip end of the other arm E23 of crank lever 822 will be engaged and locked in position by a notch IIN provided in a lever lit, pivotally mounted at i263, and normally urged in its engaging position by 'a spring 6211.

Said lever M5 has a hook shaped outer end ltd, adapted to engage pin lit at the end of the return movement of the cam, thus .limiting said return movement. Immediately before the cam reaches the end of its return movement, pin ltd will bear against a lug or projection are provided in lever I25 and will force said lever outwardly so. as to cause its notch IN tb release arm lit-t of the crank lever. When this happens the weight of the coffee beans in the roasting oven will force door it open and the beans will fall into cooling chamber M, as previously explained.

At a certain time during the return movement of the cam, dependent upon the position at which switch to has been set by knob 53 along slot ht, pin it of the cam will engage the bifurcated end of switch arm till and will throw the switch to its off position.

At this time, the heating elements will be deenergized but the roasting operation will continue up to the end of the return movement of the cam, when the roasted cofiee beans will be caused to fall. into the cooling chamber, as explained.

The cooling chamber has a rear wall till, provided with a normally closed door iii and a rearwardly inclined, bottom wall I132 provided with a normally closed door I33, said doors being located at the lowermost end of the walls respectively served thereby. Door ml is carried by a shaft ill and door I33 is carried by a shaft I36, said Rear wall I30 and bottom wall I32 of the cooling chamber are perforated by narrow slots, such as shown at I33 in Fig. 11, said slots preventing the coffee beans from falling from the cooling chamber, while at the same time allowing air impelled by fan 60 to enter the cooling chamber through the slots in wall I30 and gradually cool the roasted coffee beans, said air being discharged through the slots in bottomwall 032. After cooling, the beans can either be discharged from the cooling chamber by tilting door 533 to its open position where the beans are caused to fall into a funnel I39 and thence into a receptacle which may be placed under the funnel, or else, the cofiee beans can be discharged by opening door MI, in which case they will fall by gravity into the receiving chamber lid of the grinding device mounted at the lower end of chamber M, said grinding device being generally designated by numeral Ml.

The grinding'device proper consists of a male grinding disk Mt, carried by the lower end of shaft t8, and a female grinding ring Hit surrounding said male grinding disk. The female grinding ring is mounted so as to be adjustable vertically with respect to the male grinding disk,

in order to regulate the degree of fineness to which the coffee beans will be ground. The female grinding ring can be moved to three or .four different positions, which may be determined by the setting of suitable indications M l, ltd, carried by an adjusting ring M lt (see Figs. 2 and 3), rotatably mounted at the lower end of chamber ltd. Said ring Hit carries a pin Ml which engages a peripheral groove in female grinding ring Mt, as shown in Fig. 2, said groove comprising several horizontally extending axially spaced segmental sections connected in sequence to one another, as will be understood Chamber ltd is also provided at one side with an opening Hill controlled by a normally closed door Mid, pivotally mounted at Mt (see Figs. 1 and 5). Said opening its is provided for the purpose of pouring the roasted beans into chamber Mid. preparatory to grinding them, when said beans have been removed from the device through door lit in the bottom of the cooling chamber.

As previously stated, after the device has been used in roasting one batch of coffee, the heat chamber 233 should be allowed to cool below the temperature to which the thermostatic device is responsive, in order to prevent overheating or burning the next batch.

As we have explained, when the heating elements are deenergized by switch as being thrown to the off position, the temperature within chamber it continues to remain higher than that causing the thermostatic device Bill to become operative, so that although the circuit of electromagnet Hill will have been interrupted at switch Iid i, it will not be interrupted by the thermostatic device, and will not be interrupted by said device as long as the temperature in chamber it remains above the set limit. Consequently, if while this condition persists an attempt is made to turn the actuator and with it cam lit to the position shown in Fig. l, as soon as the movement is started dog 8t bearing against ledge till of bracket bl will cause link at to move downwardly, instantly releasing spring terminal Wt of switch Mt, thus causing said switch EM to complete the circuit of electromagnet tilt.

shafts being manually operable by means of knob- I33 and handle I31, respectively, (see Fig. l).

The electromagnet will in its turn instantly attract its armature 89 and with it a pawl IBI,

connected to said armature by a spring I52.

Said pawl will thus be moved directly in the path 01' the shoulder formed by notch 98 in link 94 and will positively prevent further downward movement of said link, thus eflectively locking the entire mechanism against operation until the circuit of the electromagnet will be interrupted by the thermostatic device.

The heat chamber 23 is preferably insulated by means of an insulating lining applied against its walls, in order to prevent heat radiation and thus insure a good operating efliciency.

For the sake of clarity, the electrical connections betwen the various elements inserted in the operating circuit have not been shown in the drawings, but their arrangement will be clearly understood from the wiring diagram of Fig. 13. In the drawings I53 designates the panel carrying the binding posts I54, and I55 designates a set ofopenings through the wall separating chamber 22 from chamber 23 for the passage of the wires to the thermostatic device and heating elements within chamber 23 and back from the thermostatic device to the electromagnet I in chamber 22.

It is obvious that our invention may be carried into practice by means of apparatus different from that shown and described. The drawings should, therefore, be understood as being intended for illustrative purposes only and not in a limiting sense.

We, accordingly, reserve the right to carry our invention into practice in all those ways and manners which may enter fairly into the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a method of roasting coifee in a roasting chamber, the steps which consist in generating and supplying heat to said chamber for a predetermined time period, to bring the temperature therein to a certain value, admitting coffee thereto, then positively and finally cutting. off the supply of heat to said chamber while substantially preventing the escape of heat therefrom, to maintain said temperature value therein, and then conducting the balance of the roasting operation at the existing temperature for another predetermined supplementary time period.

2. In a method of roasting coffee in a roasting chamber, the steps which consist first in generating and supplying heat to said chamber to bring it to a predetermined initial temperature, then admitting the coffee beans to said chamber, continuing to generate and supply heat to said chamber for a predetermined time period, to bring the temperature therein to a certain value, then positively and finally cutting oil? the supply of heat to said chamber while substantially preventing the escape of heat therefrom, to maintain said temperature value therein, and then conducting the balance of the roasting operation at the existing temperature for another predetermined supplementary time period.'

3. The method of roasting coffee in a roasting chamber, which consists in preheating the coffee beans, at the same time supplying heat to said chamber to bring it to a predetermined initial temperature, then admitting the coffee beans to said chamber, further generating and supplying heat to said chamber for a predetermined time period, to bring the temperature therein to in, and then conducting the balance of the roasting operation at the existing temperature for another predetermined supplementary time period.

4. The method of roasting coffee in a roasting chamber, which consists in preheating the coffee beans, at the same time supplying heat to said chamber to bring it to a predetermined initial temperature, then admitting the coffee beans to said chamber, further generating and supplying heat to said chamber for a predetermined time period and raising the temperature therein, regulating the duration of said time period, to bring the temperature within said roasting chamber to a certain value, then positively and finally cutting off the supply of heat to said chamber while substantially preventing the escape of heat therefrom, to maintain said temperature value therein, and then conducting the balance of the roasting operation at the existing temperature for another predetermined supplementary time period.

5. In a, method of roasting cofl'ee in a roasting chamber, the steps which consist in generating and supplying heat to said chamber for a predetermined time period, to bring the temperature therein to a certain value, admitting coffee thereto before the maximum heat is attained then positively and finally cutting off the supply of'heat to said chamber while substantially preventing the escape of heat therefrom, to maintain said temperature value therein, and then conducting the balance of the roasting operation at the existing temperature for another supplementary time period of a duration sufficient to insure substantially uniform roasting through the entire body of the coffee beans.

6. The method of roasting coffee in a roasting chamber, which consists in preheating the coffee beans, at the same time supplying heat to said chamber to bring it to a predetermined initial temperature, then admitting the coffee beans to said chamber while the temperature therein is below the maximum roasting temperature of the chamber, further generating and supplying heat to said chamber for a predetermined time period and raising said temperature to a predetermined maximum temperature, regulating the duration of said time period, to bring the temperature within said roasting chamber to a certain value, then positively and finally cutting of! the supply of heat to said chamber while substantially preventing the escape of heat therefrom, to maintain said temperature value therein, and then conducting the balance of the roasting operation at the existing temperature for another supplementary time period of a duration suflicient to insure substantially uniform roasting through the entire body of the coffee beans.

7. The method of roasting coffee in a roasting chamber, which consists in preheating the coilfee beans, at the same time supplying heat to said chamber to bring it to a predetermined initial temperature, then admitting the coffee beans to said chamber, further generating and supplying heat to said chamber for a predetermined time period, regulating the duration of said time period, to bring the temperature within said roasting chamber to a certain value, then positively and finally cutting oi! the supply of heat to said chamber while substantially preventing the escape of heat therefrom, to maintain said temperature value therein, and then conducting the balance of the roasting operation at the existing temperature for another time period of a duration suflicient to insure substantially uniform roasting through the entire body of the cofiee beans, the combined duration of said time periods being a constant for all kinds of roasts, said time periods being complementary to each other.

8. The method or roasting coflee in a roastin chamber, which consists in preheating the coflee beans, at the same time supplying heat to said chamber to bring it to a predetermined initial temperature, then admitting the coffee beans to said chamber, further generating and supplyin heat to said chamber for a predetermined time period, to bring the temperature therein to a certain value, then positively and finally cutting of! the supply of heat to said chamber while substantially preventing the escape of heat therefrom, to maintain said temperature value therein, 1

then conducting the balance of the roasting operation at the existing temperature for another predetermined supplementary time period, and then subjecting the cofiee beans to a cooling process.

9. The method of roasting coflee in a roasting chamber, which consists in preheating the coffee beans, at the same time supplying heat to said chamber to bring it to a predetermined initial temperature, then admitting the coflee beans to said chamber, further generating and supplying heat to said chamber for a predetermined time period, to bring the temperature therein to a certain value, then positively and finally cutting of! the supply of heat to said chamber while substantially preventing the escape of heat therefrom, to maintain said temperature value therein, then conducting the balance or the roasting operation at the existing temperature for another predetermined supplementary time period, and then subjecting the coffee beans to the cooling action of a current of air.

10. The method of roasting coffee in a roasting chamber, which consists in preheating the coflee beans, at the same time supplying heat to said chamber to bring it to a predetermined initial temperature, then admitting the coflee beans to said chamber, further generating and supplying heat to said chamber for a predetermined time period, regulating the duration of said time period, to bring the temperature within said roasting chamber to a certain value, then positively and finally cutting ofi the supply of heat to said chamber while substantially preventing the escape of heat therefrom, to maintain said temperature value therein, then conducting the balance Of the roasting operation at the existin temperature for another supplementary time period of a duration suflicient to insure substantially uniform roasting through the entire body of the coflee beans, and then subjecting the coffee:

beans to acooling process.

- RICHARD F. O'TOOLE.

ALEXANDER C. PARLINI. 

